Read Online Virtually Perfect by Sadie Mills - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sadie Mills
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do this...' she murmured.
He wouldn't... He won't... He can't...
He stood on the edge, hanging onto the rail, watching her watching him. White trainers, frothy black gown, grey hoodie three sizes too big. Wild dark curls. Wild dark eyes.
She looked like a frightened little girl.
He's going to kill himself. Right in front of me.
He glanced down at the water.
I'm not so sure about this...
Was it coming in, or going out?
'Get down Ben, please! Please don't do this!'
He just looked at her.
'It's like everything in life,' he said. 'There is always an element of risk. You have to decide, and you alone, whether that risk is worth taking.'
He smiled. He turned his back.
Suddenly, he was gone.
CHAPTER 18
Eve stood there blinking, feet rooted to the spot.
She heard the splash.
This can't be happening!
She threw herself against the cold rail, gripping it, her trainers squeaking on the bar. The white swell disintegrated, melting away into ink.
'Ben!'
The silence was stifling. Just the gentle trickle of water lapping the legs of the pier. A seagull screeching somewhere behind. The gentle thud of bass from the shore. Her pulse thundering in her ears.
'Ben!'
The bubbles had gone, the water was calm. It was so far down.
There was no one to help. She was on her own.
Why hadn't she stopped him?
'Ben!'
Should she save him? Could she save him?
Eve's eyes darted back into the water.
She thought she saw something. It wasn't where he went in. It was further down.
Eve squatted down and scooped up the pile of clothes. They were still warm. Eve started to run.
Big mistake! Fucking huge!
The shock of the cold knocked the air from his lungs. Ben struggled for breath. He felt as though there was a vice around his ribs.
Jesus Christ!
Ben's arms thrashed through the water, his legs kicking hard. Salt water ripped at the back of his throat, the burn rising up into his nose. His eyes were stinging. It was hard to see the lights of the shore. It was hard to force his eyes open at all, each peek delivering a fresh wave of pain. He felt his skin starting to burn. The water was so cold.
Eve's Reeboks smashed down on the pier as she ran alongside him, his clothes bundled up her arms. He could swim. He could swim fast. He was on his back now, eyes closed, arms slashing the water like turbines. He was showing off.
Oh fuck!
She spotted a security guard. The back of his head gleamed in the moonlight.
Eve squeaked to a halt. She looked down at the bundle of clothes.
...What's this going to look like?
She quickly rolled them up in a ball, stuffing it up the front of her hoodie. She wrapped her arms around her bulging stomach. Ben was ahead of her now.
'Evening!' she panted cheerily, running past the guy in the dayglow jacket.
He just stood and stared.
....They're going to call the police.
Ben was tiring. His limbs grew heavier by the second. He could feel himself slowing down. Every stroke required more and more effort. Carried him a little less further forward. Every part of him hurt. It felt like someone had doused him in petrol and set him alight. Every inch of his skin was on fire. His teeth felt like they were freezing in his skull. The crick of his neck was agony. This wasn't what he'd been expecting. He and Monique used to swim in the sea all the time - it never felt like this.
He couldn't see Eve anymore.
'Oi-oi!' called a couple of pissheads. Eve scooted past them, through the entrance, back onto crazy paving, fleeting past the daytrip vendors' little cabins.
Eve hammered down the metal steps, panting. Her feet crunched down into the shingle. She stopped dead. She saw him stepping out of the sea.
Ben shook his head, wiping the water from his face, scraping back his hair. He looked like something from an Armani Code ad. All
He wouldn't... He won't... He can't...
He stood on the edge, hanging onto the rail, watching her watching him. White trainers, frothy black gown, grey hoodie three sizes too big. Wild dark curls. Wild dark eyes.
She looked like a frightened little girl.
He's going to kill himself. Right in front of me.
He glanced down at the water.
I'm not so sure about this...
Was it coming in, or going out?
'Get down Ben, please! Please don't do this!'
He just looked at her.
'It's like everything in life,' he said. 'There is always an element of risk. You have to decide, and you alone, whether that risk is worth taking.'
He smiled. He turned his back.
Suddenly, he was gone.
CHAPTER 18
Eve stood there blinking, feet rooted to the spot.
She heard the splash.
This can't be happening!
She threw herself against the cold rail, gripping it, her trainers squeaking on the bar. The white swell disintegrated, melting away into ink.
'Ben!'
The silence was stifling. Just the gentle trickle of water lapping the legs of the pier. A seagull screeching somewhere behind. The gentle thud of bass from the shore. Her pulse thundering in her ears.
'Ben!'
The bubbles had gone, the water was calm. It was so far down.
There was no one to help. She was on her own.
Why hadn't she stopped him?
'Ben!'
Should she save him? Could she save him?
Eve's eyes darted back into the water.
She thought she saw something. It wasn't where he went in. It was further down.
Eve squatted down and scooped up the pile of clothes. They were still warm. Eve started to run.
Big mistake! Fucking huge!
The shock of the cold knocked the air from his lungs. Ben struggled for breath. He felt as though there was a vice around his ribs.
Jesus Christ!
Ben's arms thrashed through the water, his legs kicking hard. Salt water ripped at the back of his throat, the burn rising up into his nose. His eyes were stinging. It was hard to see the lights of the shore. It was hard to force his eyes open at all, each peek delivering a fresh wave of pain. He felt his skin starting to burn. The water was so cold.
Eve's Reeboks smashed down on the pier as she ran alongside him, his clothes bundled up her arms. He could swim. He could swim fast. He was on his back now, eyes closed, arms slashing the water like turbines. He was showing off.
Oh fuck!
She spotted a security guard. The back of his head gleamed in the moonlight.
Eve squeaked to a halt. She looked down at the bundle of clothes.
...What's this going to look like?
She quickly rolled them up in a ball, stuffing it up the front of her hoodie. She wrapped her arms around her bulging stomach. Ben was ahead of her now.
'Evening!' she panted cheerily, running past the guy in the dayglow jacket.
He just stood and stared.
....They're going to call the police.
Ben was tiring. His limbs grew heavier by the second. He could feel himself slowing down. Every stroke required more and more effort. Carried him a little less further forward. Every part of him hurt. It felt like someone had doused him in petrol and set him alight. Every inch of his skin was on fire. His teeth felt like they were freezing in his skull. The crick of his neck was agony. This wasn't what he'd been expecting. He and Monique used to swim in the sea all the time - it never felt like this.
He couldn't see Eve anymore.
'Oi-oi!' called a couple of pissheads. Eve scooted past them, through the entrance, back onto crazy paving, fleeting past the daytrip vendors' little cabins.
Eve hammered down the metal steps, panting. Her feet crunched down into the shingle. She stopped dead. She saw him stepping out of the sea.
Ben shook his head, wiping the water from his face, scraping back his hair. He looked like something from an Armani Code ad. All
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